The Merry Blacksmith reel

Also known as The Boys Of The Lake, The Corkonian, Merry Blacksmith, Paddy On The Railroad, The Peeler’s Cap, Sleigh Ride.

There are 75 recordings of a tune by this name.

The Merry Blacksmith has been added to 1,120 tunebooks.

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Four settings

X: 1
T: The Merry Blacksmith
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:AB|d2dA BAFA|ABdA BAFA|ABde fded|Beed egfe|
d3A BAFA-|ABdA BAFA-|ABde fdec|dBAF D2:|
|:fg|a2ag f2fe|d2dA BAFA-|ABde fded|Beed egfg|
abag fgfe|dcdA BAFA|ABde fdec|dBAF D2:|
X: 2
T: The Merry Blacksmith
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
d3 A BAFB|A2 dA BAFB|ABde fded|Beed egfe|
d3 A BAFB|A2 dA BAFB|ABde fedB|1 AFEF D3 z:|2 AFEF D3 e||
faag ~f3 e|d2 fd efdB|ABde fded|Beed egfg|
~a3 g ~f3 e|d2 fd efdB|ABde fedB|1 AFEF D3 e:|2 AFEF D3 z||
X: 3
T: The Merry Blacksmith
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
d2 dA BAFG | ABdA BAFA | ABde f2 ed | B/c/d e^d egfe |
d/e/d dA BAFG | ABdA BAFA | ABde fdec | dBAF D3 :|
a2 ag f2 fe | d2 dA BAFG | ABde f2 ed | Beed e/f/g fg |
abag fgfe | dcdA BAFA | ABde f2 ec | dBAF D3 :|
X: 4
T: The Merry Blacksmith
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
A|d2dA BAFA|AFdA BAFA|ABde f2ed|Beed Beef|
d3A BAFA|AFdA BAFA|ABde f2ec|dBAF D3||
f|ac'ag fafe|d3A BAFA|ABde f2ed|Beed Beef|
ac'ag fafe|d3A BAFA|ABde f2ec|dBAF D3||

Sixteen comments

This popular reel can be found in O’Neill’s (number 728), and is a popular session tune. I like to play this one together with "The Mountain Road".

In this setting of the tune I’ve included a tie between the A’s at the end of one bar and the A’s at the beginning of the next, so it becomes one longer note instead of two separate shorter notes. If it’s played this way, the tune has nice, almost American "swing" to it. Try this out, and if you don’t like it, then just ignore the ties.

Apart from that, try rolling the D at the very start of the tune, or the A and F at the start of the second part.

We names our band after this Reel. It’s one of my favorite tunes.

named, not names.

My “Wrong” Version

I finally learned this popular session tune by myself yesterday. Actually, I was trying to reconstruct the version I heard and played along with others in sessions from the memory, and hit upon the nice one on flute. It’s interestingly different from any version available on the net. Here it is:

K:D
d3 A BAFB|A2 dA BAFB|ABde fded|Beed egfe|
d3 A BAFB|A2 dA BAFB|ABde fedB|1 AFEF D3 z:|2 AFEF D3 e||
faag ~f3 e|d2 fd efdB|ABde fded|Beed egfg|
~a3 g ~f3 e|d2 fd efdB|ABde fedB|1 AFEF D3 e:|2 AFEF D3 z||

I’m not sure whether it’s a truly original version of mine or just the corruption of the local session version. I need to try playing it in the session.

I played this tune with others last night and found my version is different from what they play. I really love the version posted above, but it seems more sensible to learn the "correct" one.

I’ve just notice some phrases in my version come from the version of Boys of the Lough I learned in Co. Clare some months ago.

This works very, very good as a hornpipe.

It does work as a hornpipe. But it’s such a lovely reel. You might have difficulty getting others to play it with you as a reel if they begin playing it as a hornpipe. I did.

??

bogman isn’t that second tune in the clip Speed the Plough (Cronin’s Fancy)?

You’re absolutely right, sorry, that was careless of me.

No relative to handel’s The Harmonious Blacksmith then?

Chords

i play guitar and have no idea how to look up for the chords. Help!!

# Posted by wint .

“The Merry Blacksmith”

X: 3
T: Merry Blacksmith, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmaj
|: A |\
d2 dA BAFG | ABdA BAFA | ABde f2 ed | B/c/d e^d egfe |
d/e/d dA BAFG | ABdA BAFA | ABde fdec | dBAF D3 :|
|: f |\
a2 ag f2 fe | d2 dA BAFG | ABde f2 ed | Beed e/f/g fg |
abag fgfe | dcdA BAFA | ABde f2 ec | dBAF D3 :|

The Boys Of The Lake

Added X:4
Source: Joyce, Patrick Weston: Old Irish Folk Music and Songs (Dublin, 1909)